What Happens on the Ice, Stays on the Ice
by Meadowcreek
Summary: Diego and Shira battle it out after he rescues her from her watery grave. Will this ungrateful Sabress cause Diego to not only lose his pride, but his self control? please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! I do not own ice age! So this is my second ice age story which I am rather proud of! Much better than the other crap I wrote. Anyway, enjoy!**

Diego sat, watching the stars. A couple feet away, Sid hung his head over the side of the ice and vomited into the water. Diego wrinkled his face in disgust.

"Sid cant you puke your guts out somewhere else?" Diego asked scooting away uncomfortably. "I don't know why you follow me around when your sick!" Sid glared at Diego and wiped his mouth. He tried to think of a good comeback, but with the nausea that filled his mind he couldn't think straight.

Finally he settled on, "Well thanks for your compassion for your deathly ill friend."

Diego sat silently as his friend shuffled away. He didn't have the energy to do this with Sid right now.

Diego's stomach had long since adjusted to the turbulent water, but Sid's seemed to have trouble grasping the concept. A silver striped pelt entered the corner of his vision and his fur was instantly on end. His muscles tensed as she walked toward him. "Relax, softie, don't get your tail in a knot," she smirked as she passed him.

Diego snarled at her. Her ears flicked, now was her chance. "What, still embarrassed you got your butt kicked by me?"

Diego stood up. "To bad Sid made me save you!" he lowered his voice to a threatening tone.

Shira scoffed, "I wish you would have let me drown," she retorted sharply stepping forward.

"That can be arranged any time!" he snarled taking a step toward the ungrateful female.

"Are you threatening me?" her eyes blazed as she took two steps forward.

"Well, I'm sure as hell not inviting you to a pool party!" he snapped. They were nose to nose now.

Shira extended her claws and yelled, "Bring it, weakling!" He had half a mind to take her up on that offer. His fury was almost boiling over.

He remembered what a saber he had once called 'father' had told him, _never fight a girl, its not what a noble saber would do._ Diego slowly closed his eyes and looked away. It was submission. Every instinct in his body told him to stand up and shred this cocky saberess. It took every ounce of self control he had worked up over the years.

He looked up again and saw her eyes staring victoriously down at him.

She kneeled down and put her mouth right next to his ear. "Your all talk, not even worthy of being called a saber," he dug his claws into the ground and squeezed his eyes shut. Bingo. She knew she'd hit a nerve. Obviously content from this round of torture she rose and stalked away, leaving Diego crouching alone with his pride hurt beyond repair.

"Whoa," Diego's eyes flew open and his head jerked up to see Sid standing a couple feet away, mouth gaping, obviously having witnessed the whole ordeal. He sucked in air to say something else, but Diego beat him to it.

"Enjoy the show?" he yelled viscously, taking note the hurt that flashed in Sid's eyes. Sid wrung his hands. "I was just going to say, your letting Shira make you her prey." Sid hesitated, waiting to see how Diego took his words. When Diego didn't reply, Sid continued quietly, "She feeds off of making you miserable. Its like swimming….kinda. Face your-" in a swift movement Diego knocked Sid's feet out from under him. Winded, the sloth made several gasping noises to try and get the air back in his lungs. Diego didn't wait to see if the sloth was ok. He was fine. Nothing can kill that sloth. How many times had he fallen off of a cliff and lived? Out of a tree? Predators? Like he had said. Nothing.

Nothing hurt Diego more then a blow to his pride. And that particular blow had shattered it. Now all that was left were to pick up the pieces.

Diego sat down and the edge of the ice alone. The cold snow seeped through his fur. It cooled his hot skin. He hated her. Diego had never felt this kind of hate before. He hated her, but didn't want to. He was so focused in his own thoughts that he didn't hear footsteps until the where right up on him. A sharp shove came from behind. He tried to hook his claws into the ice, but it was in vain and before he knew it, he was plummeting into the freezing water below.

It filled his ears and mouth. He clawed his way to the surface and blinked the salt water out of his eyes, ready to commit murder. Sid stood on the ice above him. "Now were even!"


	2. Chapter 2

Dammit!

Diego struggled back over to the ship, hooked his claws in the side and heaved himself up. Tail tucked between his legs, he clambered onto the deck and shivered convulsively. _I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill him._ Sid, having enough common since to beat it as soon as he had made his snide remark, was nowhere in sight. Teeth chattering, Diego turned to lay down by the oddly disserted fire, but his path was blocked by Shira.

His breathing deepened. His She stood, nothing more than a silhouette against the flames, her eyes taking in the waterlogged Diego in front of her. She, for once couldn't think of anything to say. She turned shaking her head. "Yeah, that's right! Walk away! See! Cause I can actually save myself if I fall into water!" he stood fur on end, legs ridged, until she was out of sight. Uh! She was such a-! he pounded the ice with his paw and sat down. Why did the one girl he had seen since, well, a really long time, have to be so awful?

His ear flicked when he heard a slight noise and he turned to see Manny lumbering over to him. "Here," Manny said moodily, reached behind his head and pulled out a horrified Sid. "He's all yours," Diego forced a smile.

"Thanks Manny. You know, Sid, the water is wonderful this time of night," he seized the sloth in his teeth and growled in a muffled voice, "why don't you go for a swim? After all, I did!" he drug a kicking shrieking Sid over to the edge of the ice.

"Let me go!" Sid lisped. Bad time to say that.

"If you insist," Diego released, and Sid splashed, screaming, into the sea. Manny held out his trunk for a high five but Diego didn't return it.

"You okay?" Manny asked, concern in his voice.

"What? Oh I'm fine. Just, uh, tired, I guess." he really didn't want to tell Manny about his embarrassing yelling match with Shira. Manny had a serious look on his face.

"You know Sid tells me everything that he witnesses between you and Shira?"

"I figured." Diego grinned.

"So… you gonna be okay after all that stuff she said?"

"Manny, I've had worse said to me. I'll live," he remarked with a flash of his old self. He lifted a paw and punched Manny's shoulder.

Diego curled by the fire. Sid sat a couple paces away, occasionally glancing at Diego with suspicion. He tried to ignore it. Then an idea struck him. Outta nowhere he got a brilliant idea. Tomorrow would be the day. He would teach Shira to swim. Hopefully she would get what he was hinting at and swim away from them.

Ohhhhh he would get her tomorrow. Revenge had never sounded so sweet. He would push her under, saying it was a "test" to see how long she could hold her breath, her would splash her in the face…. The possibilities were endless! Diego curled up. He couldn't wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Review!**

Diego stalked over to Shiras sleeping form. Ahhhh she was so beautiful when she was asleep! He purposely dug a claw into her side when he prodded her. She blinked open her sapphire eyes, closed them again and groaned, "What do you want?" he didn't have time to play this game. He prodded her again, sinking his claws in deep. She was on her feet in an instant, "Who the-" he clapped a paw over her mouth as she tried to yell at him.

"Shut up! The others are still sleeping!" her eyes brimmed with hate. She opened her mouth slightly and bit his paw as hard as she could. Score one for Shira.

Diego leapt straight into the air, roaring curse words and jamming his paw in the snow to try and numb it.

Shira watched with cold amusement. "Has a nasty sting to it, huh?" He glared at her. Pulling his paw from the snow, he refused to let this_ female _get the best of him. Shira felt a twinge of satisfaction as she saw he was walking with an obvious limp. "_Where_ are you taking me?" she hissed as he walked to the edge of the ice. The next conversation went like this:

"You are learning how to swim, _today,"_

"Are you insane?"

"Maybe a little,"

"I'm not getting in there,"

"Oh, yes you are!"

"Why?"

"Because the next time you fall in I _will not _save you. I thought I was doing a good thing, but it turns out, I'm being punished for it."

"Fine, but I'm still not getting in there."

"Wanna bet?"

"Your all talk! Wait- Diego? Diego what are you doing? Diegoooooooooooooooooooooo-!"

Splash. Score one for Diego. He dove in neatly after her and bobbed to the surface. She was struggling as a wave rolled over her head. He swam up to her, and grasped her around her waist. Awkward. The saberess, to content on struggling didn't fight him as he tried too help her stay afloat. "Listen, Shira, stop fighting!" Shira instantly went limp.

"Good, now Shira what do you do when you hunt?" she lashed at the water furiously.

"What kind of question it that?" she swallowed another mouthful of water. Oh shit. Diego realized she might drown without him getting a chance to get even! Okay, so maybe he cared about his tormenter a little bit.

"Shira! Claw, kick, claw, kick!" he yelled over the sound of the ocean and her thrashing. She listened and began to swim. "Your doing it!" he called encouragingly, and went to release his grasp on her.

"Don't let go!" she called in alarm. This took him back. Any other time he would have had no ears left if he'd touched her. She added quickly, "because, I'm not that strong of a swimmer yet!" he stared at her puzzled. Was she feeling okay?

"Well, swim, you useless lump of fur! Your weighing me down!" there the insult was. Okay.

For another hour he gave her tips, and swam alongside her, just incase. Then he began to tire. He could tell she was to, because her head was slipping under more often. He clambered back on to the ship, and shook his fur. He went to pad away when a sharp nip assaulted his flank. He turned, eyes narrowed.

"How's your paw?"

He stared at her, "Um, the swimming helped it…." he waited for the stinging remark.

"Sorry for biting it," gulp. Okay now he was really starting to feel uncomfortable.

"Uh, its okay,"

"And thanks for the swimming lesson,"

He gaped at her. "Shira, exactly how much salt water did you swallow?"

She rolled her eyes. "Your stupid. Its called being grateful you didn't drown me when you had the chance."

"I was tempted," he replied. She turned and stalked away. It wasn't a bad stalk though. Diego stood watching when he looked over to his side Sid stood there. He nudged Diego with an elbow, eyebrows waving, then ran, laughing, away.


	4. Chapter 4

Diego woke up to the sound of an argument. A loud argument at that. He yawned and stretched, then angled his ears in the direction it was coming from.

"Its _your_ turn!"

"Its _your _Grandmother!" Manny and Sid arguing over who had to wake up Granny. Oh on. Diego tried to act like he hadn't woken up in the first place, but Sid, desperate to not be the one waking up Granny had seen him. "Hey, Diego! Come wake up Granny, will ya?" He gave Sid a death stare.

"No."

Sid, looking crestfallen, slowly walked over to his grandmother. Hesitantly he said, "Hey, Granny time to-" that's all he had time to say before the side of Grannies beloved cane smashed into the side of his head. She got up and started wailing on him and a chorus of "ow! Ow! Ouchy! Ouchy! Ahhhh!" rose up as Sid ran from a furious Granny. Manny laughed. Diego watched with warm amusement. "You know, I'm actually starting to like Granny," He had gotten nearly the same welcome from Granny. They all had.

"Cant an old lady get any sleep around here without getting woken up by some youngster?" she yelled.

_Later _

Diego crouched on the edge of the ice staring intently into the water. "Hey Diego, what you up to?" Diego flicked an ear but didn't reply. Then suddenly he trust a paw into the water and scooped a rather large silver fish onto the ice. "Whoa! Where'd you learn to do that?" Diego settled down next to the fish and stared at the sloth who was looking at him intently. "It was either you or the fish. I chose the fish."

"Awww Diego! I knew you didn't have the heart to eat me!"

"Actually its more because I don't want to taste you every time I burp."

"Well maybe you are gonna have to." both guys turned their heads to see Shira padding toward them. She sat down in front of Diego and leaned in.

His body stiffened with shock. Their muzzles where almost touching. She looked into his eyes.

In a blur she snatched the fish in her teeth and sprinted away. Diego leap to his paws and tried to sprint after his stolen lunch, but tripped over a wad of purple, gray fur. Granny sat straight up and proceeded to beat Diego with her cane. Tricked! By Shira!

He jumped out of Grannies range, but not before she had landed several stinging blows to his head and shoulders. Growling he stalked back over to the waters edge and crouched low again. Next time he wouldn't fall for it! He soon after caught another fish (although it was smaller than the one he had first caught) and looked around, making sure Shira was nowhere in sight.

**Short chapter, yeah I know. Well I hope you liked it anyway. don't forget to review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews! But now, its contest time! Bum bum bum! Ok, so I'm going to write a chapter without telling you who is narrating. Whoever guesses who is the narrator gets a cookie! Good luck!**

He blinked open his eyes. It was still nighttime. He shifted slightly and smoothed his ruffled fur. Blinking he yawned and cast a glance over at his friends, sleeping soundly a couple feet away.

Although he was still in a sleep induced state of mind, he felt a small twinge of happiness as he realized it was the original three. Well, except for Shira, but she tended to sleep alone somewhere else on the ice. Fine by him. He leaned on his shoulder and looked at the stars, wondering if Crash, Eddie, Ellie and Peaches were okay.

He would never forget their terrified faces as the slab of ice they had been standing on broke off and fell into the sea. He shuddered as he remembered that sickening feeling of falling. That would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Again he looked in the direction of his comrades and felt a flash of brotherly love for them. They were like his brothers in a way, he thought. Very strange brothers. He would do anything for these guys. But then again, that's what your supposed to do in a herd, right?


	6. Chapter 6

**Who's a slacker? This girl, right here! I honestly don't have a good excuse for the wait. But here goes one that I thought of recently. Okay ready? My computer got very temperamental and wouldn't let me on the internet for more than twenty minutes at a time. (It's true) but that's still not a good one, so oh well.**** And as for the contest. The character is… Manny! Congrats to toughs who got it right COOKIES FOR EVERYONE! *throws out cookies to crowd.* **

Diego blinked open his eyes and flinched when he saw a pair of sapphire eyes looking back at him.

"God!" he sat straight up and smacked his head on a slab of ice. Rubbing his head he glared at her.

"What was that for?"

Shira's eyes sparkled with amusement. "You did that all yourself." His fur prickled. And it starts.

"Oh, so you want to do this?" Diego growled.

"Maybe."

"Then bring it."

Shira kept eye contact with him. She raised her chin. A stubborn one, he was. She pounced on him and pinned him to the ground. Diego writhed around desperately underneath her. She sat on him. Sat on him! Panting, he tried to push her off. No such luck.

"I give up! Get off of me, I can't breathe!" Immediately he regretted tough's words. Shira slid off of him and gave him a long look.

"What's that supposed to mean?" her eyes filled with innocence.

"I- you- uh, Shira, I didn't mean it like _that_. Your very pretty-" her eyes opened wide with pleased surprise. Instantly he tried to back pedal.

"I mean, no. uh….." his fur was flaming with embarrassment. She smiled, then pinned him again.

"It's okay, softie I know what you meant. I didn't come here to fight anyway." She stood over him, one brow raised and looking quite… attractive. He shifted uncomfortably.

"So, uh, what are you here for?"

She released him and sat back, silver fur catching the first rays of the sun. Her sapphire eyes gleamed. He sat up and smoothed his ruffled fur. The saberess looked calm and kind, her eyes not holding the judgmental tone they usually did. She smiled softly.

"I came to thank you for…well everything. If it weren't for you and Manny, I would have drowned. I guess you're not _that _bad to hang around." She scooted closer to him. "Could we maybe, start over?"

Diego looked into her pleading eyes. She was trying at least. Really trying. Shira scooted over until she was at his side. Their fur was touching.

"Alright." He smiled and nudged her with a shoulder roughly. "And, you're welcome!"

A cold wind picked up and she nuzzled into him. "I thought you wanted to drown me?" her voice was teasing. He rolled his eyes. Then jumped on her and pinned her playfully.

"Sure, if you want,"

"I couldn't do that to a helpless kitty like you!"

She growled softly.

"Land!" Manny yelled.

"Land?" Shira echoed, swatting Diego off of her. He fell into step beside her. Maybe, just maybe things would turn out okay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Distraction! That's my excuse this time. Any hoo! Enjoy!**

Diego leapt over and helped Manny paddle. Granny used her cane as a paddle and Sid, well, Sid was nowhere to be found. How ironic. Within minutes the ice was landed on a beach with bright golden sand. Sid, who had been absent only moments before, flew our of nowhere and was the first to flop down on the sand.

"Ooh! Land! How I missed you! I could kiss you!" which he proceeded to do.

Diego jumped down, the warm sand coming as a relief to his icy fur.

"I could get used to this!" Manny looked up and down the sandy beach.

Shira leapt down, sapphire eyes widening with pleasure as the hot sand thawed her frozen paws.

"Where are we?" she asked from where she was laying on the sand, the sun soaking into her silver fur. Diego padded up beside her.

"I don't know, but seriously, I like it here," he replied.

Shira rolled on her side and opened one eye. With lightening fast reflexes, she knocked Diego's feet out from under him. His chest hit the ground and knocked the wind outta him. Sid, Granny, and Manny were half way down the beach.

"What….was….that for?" he gasped awkwardly.

Shira voice vibrated with a purr. Using her paws she pulled him into a hug.

"Your just so….poofy!"

"I am not!" he protested, blinded by her beauty. He nuzzled her softly, then sat up. She did as well.

Then something happened.

Something he wished he could take back.

He kissed her.

A small kiss, but it was enough. His skin flushed red and leaping into the air he bounded away, leaving a stunned Shira in his wake.


	8. Chapter 8

***sigh* wow its been awhile, huh? Sorry about that. *dodges numerous flying objects* I said I was sorry! 0.0**

Shira paced back and forth over the sandy shore. The last couple events had been a blur, and had managed to shock her all the same. Sid came around the corner, carrying a pineapple, a massive smile on his face.

"This island is awesome!" he exclaimed to no one in particular. Shira stood motionless. She quietly melted away into the under growth, not wanting to be social with anyone other than Diego. Where ever that lump of fur was.

It wasn't hard to sniff him out, the smell of embarrassment lingered in the air and in his mad haste to get way he had managed to crash through almost every shrub on the island it seemed. She slunk over to a small lagoon, and found him sitting along the shore line. She stopped and watched him for a couple of minutes, then padded silently out to meet him.

"Diego," she made her presence known.

The awkwardness was almost touchable in the air between them. She sighed.

"When you run away you might want to try and not let the island know!" She said as she padded over and sat down next to him. She allowed their fur to touch.

He chuckled, "Was it really that obvious?"

"Why don't you ask the trail of debris that Hurricane Diego left in his wake."

They both laughed as the tension melted away. After waiting a couple more moments she pushed her head up beneath his chin and purred, "Did you mean it?"

"Yeah."

Shira purred louder and nuzzled into his fur. "I think this could work." she murmured.

"I agree!" came an enthusiastic voice from behind causing them both to jump. Sid stood there clutching his hands to his chest, eyes watering.

"Oh I'm so happy! One big family! When are the cubs due?"

"Sid!" Diego growled, heat rushing up under both the sabers fur.

"Oh I wont rush this!" Sid smiled, "You two kids have fun!" he waved his eyebrows in the If-you-know-what-I-mean sign.

Diego snarled and lunched himself after the sloth who ran away laughing, Shira on his heels. She grinned as Sids words ran over and over again in her head.

_One big happy family._


End file.
